PENTECOST … Life in the Spirit
Reading: Acts 2:1-4 and Galatians 5:13-26 Preacher: Rev. Phil Swain
Pentecost is the day that we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit – the fulfilment of Jesus promise in John 14. Jesus said that he would ask the Father to send us a helper – one to walk beside us and help us in all we do. That helper is the Holy Spirit.
But did you know that there is a connection between the Christian understanding of Pentecost and the Jewish understand of Shavot? Phil will explain that this celebration is more than acknowledging that God has done something great but how it calls us to live our lives differently in response … to live in the Spirit!
Sermon Text
Today we are celebrating a transformative moment in the early church. Over Easter we talked a lot about transformation (remember the butterflies) … and how transformative Jesus’ death and resurrection was. This is another one of those transformative moment – where the early church received the Holy Spirit. It’s a story marked by wind and fire, boldness and surprise. It is a story of how the spirit that has moved over the earth since the moment of creation … unleashes into this new era of the early church.
Daniel in his kids talk reminded us of the story in Acts 2…
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1–4)
Imagine that moment with me. Can you hear the wind roaring through the room, knocking loose everything safe and predictable? Can you see the flickers of flame hovering above every startled face, signalling something utterly new was taking place? This wasn’t simply another gathering—this was the birth of a movement, stirring possibilities, breaking down barriers, igniting courage, and empowering the church to continue the mission of Jesus into a world that needs love
Today, as we reflect on Pentecost here at TUC, we’re invited to consider: What fresh wind of God’s Spirit might be blowing through us, right now? What new fires of hope, faith, and courage is God lighting within our hearts and our community? Let’s open ourselves again, expectantly and joyfully, to the surprising and transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
This arrival of the Spirit was not a surprise … Jesus said it was going to happen. Jesus knew the journey ahead for his followers would be filled with uncertainty, challenge, and even moments of doubt. In John chapters 14 and 16 – the night before his death on the cross – Jesus made a promise to the anxious disciples … a promise to send them a Helper, an Advocate, the Spirit of truth. In John 14:16, Jesus says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” This wasn’t simply words to make them feel calmer … it was to give them hope that even though he was physically going away, there still would be an enduring divine presence, a helper and companion, who would guide them, remind them of Jesus’ teachings, and anchor them in the love and wisdom of God. In John 16, Jesus explains that the Spirit would come to dwell within and among all of his followers, empowering them, convicting hearts, and revealing deeper truths.
And in Acts chapter 1 … after his death and resurrection, just before ascending, Jesus emphasizes this promise in Acts 1, instructing the followers to wait in Jerusalem — to wait in expectation for the gift of the Spirit, because “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”. Jesus’ promise was clear: the Spirit would not only comfort and guide them but equip them to carry his message of hope, grace, and life into the world.
So the arrival of the Spirit wasn’t a complete surprise—but what amazed and astounded everyone at Pentecost was that God’s Spirit was now poured out freely, for all people and for all time.
You see, the Spirit has always been present. Genesis 1:2 tells us the Spirit was moving across the waters at creation. Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon particular people at particular moments, empowering them for specific tasks. For example, the Spirit rested on King David, guiding him in leadership, courage, and prophetic worship. Likewise, in Exodus 31, the Spirit filled skilled artisans like Bezalel and Oholiab with wisdom and creativity, enabling them to craft the sacred furnishings of the Tabernacle.
But as we read in Acts 2 … at Pentecost everything changed. The Spirit wasn’t limited to kings or artisans or prophets anymore. God was offering this incredible gift to everyone who believes. And not just for a moment … but to be with us forever!
If we jump back to John 14:26, Jesus describes the Spirit in a deeply personal way: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
The Greek word translated as Advocate is paráklētos (παράκλητος). It can mean advocate, intercessor, helper, or assistant—but at its core, it literally means “one who is called to be beside you.” Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit will walk with us—every step, every moment—guiding, helping, reminding us of his words. What a beautiful and powerful promise.
And here’s the amazing part: we are recipients of that promise.
Because of Pentecost, the Spirit has come to us too. Right now, the Spirit is beside you—ready to assist, to prompt, to empower.
So the question becomes: How do we respond to this gift?
This is where I discovered something that gave me fresh insight into the meaning of Pentecost.
Did you know that the early church often drew from traditional Jewish festivals, reinterpreting them in light of Jesus? Pentecost is one such example.
Pentecost actually the Greek name for the Jewish festival Shavuot, which means “weeks.” It falls seven weeks—or 50 days—after Passover, and commemorates the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Now here’s the deeper connection:
In Jewish tradition, Shavuot wasn’t just about receiving the law—it was about responding to God’s saving act. After the Exodus, after being freed from slavery, the people didn’t just return to life as usual. They used those 50 days to prepare their hearts and ask: How should we live in light of what God has done for us? Their answer was: We will live God’s way. We will follow God’s law.
Now fast-forward to the early followers of Jesus.
They, too, had just experienced God’s saving power—through the death and resurrection of Christ. They had been set free, forgiven, made new.
And just like their ancestors, they took time—50 days—to reflect and prepare. But this time, the response wasn’t the giving of the law on stone tablets… it was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on human hearts.
Their response wasn’t to live by the law—but to live by the Spirit.
So what does it mean in practice to live by the Spirit? This is where our other Bible reading, Galatians 5, helps us. The early churches in Galatia were struggling with the idea that, to truly be accepted by God, faith in Jesus wasn’t enough—they also had to strictly follow the Torah, the Jewish law. But Paul pushes back strongly on this. He reminds them that Jesus has set us free—free from the burden of trying to earn our place with God through rules and regulations. Instead, Paul says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6)
That’s our response. Not legalism. Not striving to follow the law to the letter. But trusting in the Spirit to guide us in a life shaped by love.
Of course, it’s not always easy. Left to our own devices, our human nature tends to drift toward selfishness, impurity, division, or even hatred. But Paul encourages us: Don’t trust the flesh—trust the Spirit. Lean into the Spirit’s presence. Live by the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit.
And as we do, something amazing happens: the Spirit begins to grow godly fruit in our lives. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)
These are the signs that we are living in response to Pentecost. This is what it looks like when we allow the Spirit to be at our side—shaping us, guiding us, and helping us become more like Christ.
If I’m honest, when I read that list of the Spirit’s fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—I sometimes find myself thinking, why isn’t the Spirit doing a better job growing some of these in me? Some of them I can see. But patience? Gentleness? Hmm… not so much. And self-control? That’s always been a struggle.
So what can we do to help the Spirit grow these in us?
Truthfully, I don’t have all the answers—especially after the week we’ve just had. But I want to finish this morning by offering you two simple analogies. Maybe God will speak to you through one of them.
Analogy #1:
Some of you might remember that around this time last year—at the May Flea Market 2024—I bought a plant from our Melanesian friends. I even mentioned it in a sermon and joked that, being terrible at gardening, I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t survive.
Well, I took it home, popped it in full sun out the front… and for months, nothing. It didn’t die, but it didn’t grow either.
Then earlier this year, I moved it to the back of the house—somewhere with a mix of sun and shade. And boom. I have no idea why, but it suddenly took off. I didn’t do anything new… I just changed its position.
And it got me thinking. When it comes to growing the fruit of the Spirit—like love, patience, or self-control—I know I can’t force it to happen. That’s God’s work. But maybe what I can do is to make sure I’m positioned in a way that allows growth to happen. To create space. To stay close to God.
To place myself where the Spirit’s work can take root.
Analogy #2:
But that raises another question I’ve been wrestling with this week: How do we create space for the spirit to move when we are being crushed by the harshness of life? When the storms of this world hit us? It’s one thing to position a plant in a good spot—but what if the plant is being whipped around by a storm? Can the spirit still be at work when our inner reserves are empty and life just feels harsh?
Yesterday, as I was struggling with this sermon, I came across a video on social media that really moved me. It was recorded from someone’s balcony where a car alarm had been going off for a while. They couldn’t stop the alarm—so instead, they pulled out a keyboard… and began to play along with the siren.
I don’t know why it moved me so much. But maybe it’s this:
Sometimes, God doesn’t stop the storm or silence the noise.
But the Spirit comes alongside us—right beside us—and somehow, brings something beautiful in the midst of the chaos. That’s been my experience this week.
I don’t know if that’s the perfect way to end a sermon—but I hope you’ve heard something of what God is saying to you today.
Three takeaways from this Pentecost message:
- Pentecost is about the Holy Spirit—the paráklētos—coming to all of us. The Spirit walks beside us always, to help, guide, teach, and support us.
- Pentecost calls for a response. We are invited to live by the Spirit, to keep in step with the Spirit, and to be open to the Spirit’s leading.
- The Spirit wants to work in our lives—in both the good and the tough times. Our role is to position ourselves in ways that allow that growth to happen.
So may that be our prayer today—for me and for all of us:Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.